It is a little passed midnight, the house is tranquilly silent, but in the distance I hear the sound of a train whistle as it warns the cars at a crossing. It is a sound that penetrates deep into my mind and gives me a moment of wanderlust.  Even more, to me it is the sound of freedom, life and a nation on the move.

This is the same sound that I used to hear as a child. My hometown  was divided by two railroads which crisscrossed near the center of town. Therefore, many times a day I would hear the trains blowing as they went through. I used to picture myself on one of them and my imagination took me wherever I chose to go.

Sounds can take us back through the years and remind us of  events. If you grew up on a farm it might be the sound of a rooster crowing or a cow mooing early in the morning. For urban dwellers it may be the sound of church bells or the clanking of milk bottles delivered to your doorstep.

The sound of a  mother’s voice is recognized fresh out of the womb. Experts believe the baby hears it well before birth. (Follow link below; it is worth reading)  It’s no wonder that sound is so important in our development.

As we grow up we become inundated in an ocean of sounds, many times making it difficult to distinguish them from each other. This cacophony is what we call noise. In this modern world sometimes  the best sound we can hear is the sound of silence.

As our daily lives frequently become like rodent speedways. It is important that we fine that place of silence; however hard it may be to achieve. Even Christ found it necessary to get away from the  multitudes  to rest and communicate with His father. It is in the stillness that we can hear the voice of God. Many times it is a still small voice that is as distinct and recognizable as the train whistle in the night. As the song writer Will Ramsey so aptly penned “He whispers sweet peace to me”

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